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1.05.2011

Magicians Hat & Cape Tutorial Part 2

Magicians Hat Tutorial

The inspiration for this hat comes from Ikatbag. Loraine made one of these for her daughters and I fell in love with it. I contacted her in hopes that she would let me use her idea for S.Y.T.Y.C. Much to my delight, she agreed! So, here is the tutorial based on her hat.

1. Measure.
First measure your child's head and find the radius. I am horrible at math, so I used this website to find the answer once I had the circumference (the measurement around the child's head). I don't remember my sons measurement, but, the radius was 3 3/4". ***

Cut a piece of string to the length of your radius. If you have one, just use a compass.

2. Cut it.
Make your circle on a piece of felt and cut it out.

3. Trace and cut.
Trace the circle you just cut out and make another one around out that is 4" wider all the way around. Make a third circle that is a 1/2" smaller than the circle you just traced (see photo below).

Cut out the smallest circle and the biggest circle.

***Repeat the above steps with the gray felt.

4. More cutting.
Using the measurement you got from step one (the circumference), cut a piece of gray felt and black felt that is your circumference long by 12 inches on the sides. I made mine 12... you can definitely make it shorter. Whatever works best for you.

Cut and sew a piece of stabilizer to your circle from step 2. (I messed up and had to make a new circle).

6. Sew, Sew, Sew.
Sew the 12" sides of the hat, right sides together. Then attach the circle to the top. It's a bit tricky going around the top of the hat. Take your time.

Baste the stabilizer to the circle you cut in step 3. Then, pin the circle to the bottom of the hat, with right sides together.

Sew it together.

You should now have this.

Sew the side seam of the gray felt together.

Sew the top circle.

7. Make the False bottom.
Cut a piece of satin fabric that is the length of your circumference plus 1 inch by 5 inches.
Then sew a casing on one of the long sides and add elastic. Secure it by sewing it on one side of the casing.

You want to use a short length of elastic so that there is only a small opening when you sew the side seam together.

Sew the side seams together. Then press the seam open and run a zig zag stitch over the top of the seam to add strength.

Sew the false bottom into the hat upside down. I know... it doesn't make sense. Just trust me.

Now, reach through the hole of the false bottom and pull the top of the hat through, turning the whole hat through. Isn't that awesome!?!?!?!

Sew the brim to the hat.

8. Attach the inside layer.
Put the gray hat inside the black hat.

Pin the layers together.

Starting at the innermost part of the brim, stitch the hat together. Isn't Eli adorable in the background???

Now stitch the outer edge of the brim together.

You should now have this. Don't mind my wiggly seams! eek!

To finish the hat, cut a white felt strip and attach it to the hat by hand sewing. Make sure to go all the way through every layer. It will help hold the layers together.

To finish up, sew some square scarves out of bright colors. Attach them together and you have a chain of scarves to magically pull out of your hat!